Republicans Follow Through With Lawsuit Over House Redistricting Map

by Kenny Colston on January 26, 2012

Several Kentucky House Republican shave followed through on their threats to file a legal challenge to new legislative district lines.

The Republicans filed the lawsuit and request for an injunction in Franklin County Circuit Court today. And because of the injunction request, they will go before Judge Phillip Sheppard on Monday morning.

“We have been saying for a couple of weeks now that not only was it unfair to the people of Kentucky,” says House Republican Leader Jeff Hoover. “Not only did it disenfranchise a lot of folks in Kentucky, but it was unconstitutional and that is the basis of the lawsuit. It violates section 33 of the constitution.”

The suit also includes Republican state Representatives Kim King and Joe Fischer. It was filed against Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes, the state’s chief elections officer, because the lawmakers hope to delay elections for the new districts.

And Fischer, who has filed three previous lawsuits against redistricting in decades past, says this case is the strongest he’s ever had.

“So we’ve got division of fewest counties, one person one vote and the contiguous argument that we didn’t have in my lawsuit [in the 1990s],” Fischer said. “So I look for this to be a very strong argument to the court.”

It is unclear whether Senate Democrats will join the lawsuit. House Speaker Greg Stumbo has defended the House map as constitutional.